Public backs rail over buses
As Sydneysiders get ready for the closure of George Street and work to begin on the Sydney Light Rail project this week, the latest Transport Opinion Survey shows the public lacks faith in the ability of governments to deliver transport improvements.
Australians are in favour of significant spending on public transport, would prefer to see the development of rail over bus services and are continuing to lose faith in the ability of governments to deliver transport improvements, according to the latest survey by the University of Sydney Business School.
The latest Transport Opinion Survey (TOPS), conducted by the school’s world-renowned Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS), asked participants how they would like to see their government to spend a hypothetical budget of a $100 billion on transport improvements.
Slightly more than half (51 per cent) answer public transport with 49 per cent preferring to see the money spent on roads.
"It is clear that there remains a strong community commitment to improved public transport," said ITLS Director Professor David Hensher.
The latest TOPS also found that three in five Australians would prefer see investment in rail over bus services.
When asked to choose between the development of a 30-kilometre rail corridor or 300 km of dedicated bus lanes for the same cost, around 60 per cent nationwide preferred a rail corridor. Queensland and South Australia had a relatively higher number of participants supporting dedicated bus lanes (44 percent).
"This confirms findings from other research. Residents with experience of dedicated bus systems are very much in favour whereas those lacking this experience tend to defaults to the sexier looking light rail systems," said Professor Hensher. "Those states with fast bus systems (South Australia and Queensland) recognise how much they can contribute."
This TOPS also revealed a continuing decline in confidence amongst participants in the ability of government to deliver improvements to transport in their local area and across Australia. The transport confidence index fell to its lowest level since the survey commenced in 2010, with a very strong decline in confidence since September 2013.
The survey was conducted in September 2015, just prior to a change in federal government leadership.
"Statements from the new Prime Minister recognising the importance of Australian cities, may make a difference to confidence levels," Professor Hensher concluded.
TOPS is the only national survey to measure public opinion on transport related issues. The full 2015 report is at: http://sydney.edu.au/business/itls/tops.
Related articles
The Yuan devaluation and the end of the economic miracle
China's leaders must see the fiscal brick wall that blocks its road to development, and they must know how hard it will be to break through, writes Associate Professor Salvatore Babones in Foreign Affairs.
Why Hockey’s call for tax cuts to fuel growth is a flawed argument
Treasurer highlights fundamental questions about how we think economies behave and the role of government, writes Associate Professor Graham White.
New board appointments drive John Grill Centre's vision forward
The University of Sydney is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Ken Henry AC and Bob Rollinson as new members of the John Grill Centre for Project Leadership's advisory board.
Scholarship recipient plans to help Pacific nations develop
Samantha Cook, a lawyer specialising in cross-border and international business transactions, has been awarded the $60,000 BOSS Emerging Leaders MBA Scholarship.
Healthcare: the next boom industry for Australian businesses in China
As the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) looks set to be ratified later this year, a new report has identified the healthcare sector as one of the key beneficiaries from the agreement.
End of year individual bonuses found to be counter-productive
New research published in the Journal of Business Research has cast doubt on the benefits of individual bonuses, recommending end of year bonuses be based on group performance
Chinese investment in residential real estate just two percent
Chinese investment is often blamed for driving up house prices, but research by Professor Hans Hendrischke and Dr Wei Li suggests otherwise.
Five great myths about the housing market
Here's the top five by urban and regional planning and policy experts at the University of Sydney, Professor Peter Phibbs and Professor Nicole Gurran.
What ASEAN can teach the world about surviving a financial crisis
Dr Sandra Seno-Alday believes economies around the world can learn valuable lessons from observing how Southeast Asia reacted to the 2008 financial crisis.
UN Women NC Australia Scholarship helps close MBA gender gap
The University of Sydney Business School and UN Women National Committee Australia have once again partnered to offer a $60,000 MBA Scholarship in a united effort to promote women in leadership.